As we go through life we come across people who are rich, handsome, intelligent, powerful and successful in every way. And then we see others who are so poor and defenceless that their life is an endless series of failures. What is the reason for such differences in their circumstances? Many people are outraged by what they think of as the injustice of fate. If you ask a scientist to explain these inequalities he will say that it is a question of chance. And if you ask a priest or a pastor he will tell you that it is the will of God. Some might talk about predestination and grace, but that only adds to the injustice! In any case, to say that "it is the will of God" is almost the same thing as saying that "it is a question of chance".

If we analyse the priest's answer we are forced to conclude that God gives everything to some and nothing to others. We don't know why; that's just the way it is. But that's not all: it seems that He gets very angry when those to whom He has given nothing good, either in themselves or in their circumstances, turn out to be vicious and stupid and commit crimes. He even punishes them! Since God is almighty He could have made all His creatures magnificent, but He didn't. So not only is it His fault if men commit crimes but He then punishes them for their crimes. No wonder so many people have a horror of religion!

The truth is that there is a very good reason for all the apparent injustices of life, and that is the law of reincarnation. The Church has never realized that, by denying this law, it was portraying the Lord as a monster of cruelty.

The explanation is simple: at the beginning God gave us everything. But He also gave us freedom, and we have used that freedom to indulge in some very costly experiences. Of course, the Lord sees all this but as He is generous and patient He lets us work things out for ourselves. He says, "My poor children are going to suffer and run into trouble, but that doesn't matter: all my love and wealth is there, waiting for them. They have plenty of reincarnations ahead of them in which to learn wisdom." In other words, God lets us exercise our freedom, and all the bad things that happen to us happen through our own fault: we have deserved them. And we have also deserved all the good things that happen to us: they are the results of our efforts in previous incarnations.

Why does the Church put all the blame on God for what happens to us? Perhaps you will object, "The Church doesn't blame God; it has simply suppressed the belief in reincarnation." Yes, but if you think about it, you will see that it amounts to the same thing. And it is very serious, because the knowledge about this law of reincarnation is one of the cornerstones of morality. As long as people are unaware of the law of cause and effect which carries over from one incarnation to the next, no amount of preaching or sermonizing will do any good. They won't change. And not only will they refuse to change but, seeing themselves as the victims of social injustice, they will rebel against their fate and become more and more jealous and full of hate for those who seem to be more privileged, with the result that their situation will be even more complicated. But someone who knows that all the difficulties and hardships of this life are the result of his past transgressions will not only accept them as just but will also make up his mind to work for good so as to enjoy better conditions in his future incarnations.